Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) are set to meet for their final league-stage clash of IPL 2025 on May 25 at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium. While both teams were finalists last season, their journeys this year have been far from ideal. With neither side in contention for the playoffs, this match serves as a dead rubber. Still, both teams will be eager to finish their campaigns on a positive note.
KKR have endured an inconsistent run, notching just five wins. SRH, under the leadership of Pat Cummins, have had a similar path, also securing five victories. However, SRH appear to be finishing stronger, entering this clash on the back of two consecutive wins. They’ll want to ride that momentum and close out the season with a third.
The surface in Delhi is expected to favour spinners, with a dry pitch and some patches of grass. Dew could be a decisive factor in the second innings, so teams may prefer to chase. The weather looks clear, with no rain expected.
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In head-to-head battles, KKR have historically dominated SRH, winning 20 of their 29 encounters. Their previous meeting this season saw KKR post 200/6, courtesy of half-centuries from Angkrish Raghuvanshi and Venkatesh Iyer. In reply, SRH never got going and were bowled out for just 120, with Varun Chakravarthy and Vaibhav Arora bagging three wickets each.
While the stakes are low, pride is on the line. Both teams will want to sign off with a win. Up next, we explore the key matchups.
#1 Ishan Kishan vs Sunil Narine
Ishan Kishan’s resurgence has come at the right time for SRH. After a dip in form following his century in the tournament opener, he roared back with a sensational unbeaten 94 off just 48 balls against RCB. He now faces a stern challenge in Sunil Narine, who has dismissed him twice in six IPL encounters. Despite that, Kishan has maintained an impressive strike rate of 152.94 in this duel. Narine, meanwhile, has been effective against left-handers this season, conceding at 8.26 an over while picking up four wickets.
#2 Sunil Narine vs Pat Cummins
While Sunil Narine is capable of explosive starts, Pat Cummins has proven to be his nemesis, dismissing him twice in just 11 deliveries in the IPL. Narine’s batting form has dipped this season, managing only 215 runs at 21.50. Cummins, on the other hand, returned figures of 3/28 in his last outing.
#3 Varun Chakravarthy vs Heinrich Klaasen
Varun Chakravarthy’s mystery spin will be crucial against SRH, particularly in his face-off with Heinrich Klaasen. Chakravarthy has 17 wickets this season and returned 3/22 the last time these two sides met. Klaasen, however, has hammered spin this season, striking at 156.43, including a 175 strike rate against Chakravarthy himself.
